Life lessons
Chapter 12: Goals are dreams with a deadline
“People with life goals are sure to succeed
because they know the path they are headed.”- Earl Nightingale
Motivation and goal: winning power
The combination of motivation and goals is
not only the most powerful human resource but also the seed for all success.
All achievements,
big or small,
are goal-activated and fueled by motivation,
in addition to talking about the importance of self-motivation,
explaining the role of desire,
belief
and the benefits of visualizing the work before actually doing it,
I’m talking about goals again.
Why are goals so important?
There are many ways to define success.
The best definition I’ve heard is:
Success is the continual accomplishment of meaningful
and valuable goals.
Psychologist Charles Garfield,
who has worked with astronauts,
inventors,
business leaders,
world-class athletes and other successful figures,
believes that Every success begins with a specific goal and a real desire.
Living without a goal is like traveling without a destination.
We still see countless people drifting aimlessly,
without stopping,
but they don’t seem to understand why.
Sadly, many young people are in the same situation.
However, there is a relatively simple way to change the course of life,
regardless of age or circumstances,
and that is to set yourself clear,
specific goals.
Benefits of goal setting
Through goals,
our lives can be enriched in many ways:
* Motivation
– Goals stem from many motives.
They give us reason to act and start good things.
* Independence
– Goals help us dare to take responsibility for our own lives.
Instead of following the crowd or drifting through life,
we choose our own path,
the path that helps fulfill our desires.
* Direction
– Goals give us a destination.
Knowing the destination,
we can see the future clearly.
* Meaning
– Life has more meaning when we are clear about what we want.
Instead of just surviving day in and day out,
goals in life give us reasons to start living real life.
* Excitement, joy
– Living with purpose is the antidote to the scariest disease that society has:
How can you be bored when you have exciting things to do?
Goals in life make your life more enjoyable,
engaging,
and challenging.
* Satisfaction
– Goals,
more than anything else,
help us to develop our potential.
Goal setting helps us realize what is within reach.
Every successful step builds confidence.
Each goal accomplished helps us see more of what we can accomplish,
leading to new goals and more success.
When dreams become goals
I once taught a course on planning
and organizational change at a college,
which also included setting goals for the unit.
I give students the following exercise:
Write down ten goals for your life.
In the following classes
I ask students to discuss one of the ten goals together.
Diane, a female student in her 40s,
eager and eager to learn,
presented first.
“I have always dreamed of living in Europe one day,” she said.
I said, “That’s great, but that’s almost a goal.
We can make it a life goal by just doing two simple things.”
I get a confused look and the next question is:
“Why isn’t that a goal?”
“Goals are dreams with a deadline.”
I explain that, when we set a deadline for a dream,
it’s the first step in turning it into a goal.
The next question is:
“What else does it take to make it a goal”?
Answer:
“Europe is a continent.
Why don’t we limit it to an even narrower space
such as a particular country, or better yet, a region, a city?”
I go on to explain that
the “dream of living in Europe one day” is a good example of a “near goal”.
There are dreams that cannot come true
because we are not clear enough.
The human brain is not oriented towards the general
but towards the specific end.
The story of the Golden Gate Bridge is a prime example.
The more vivid and detailed Joseph Strauss envisioned the project,
the easier it was for him to work towards making it a reality.
About three years later,
I received a postmarked letter in Vienna,
Austria.
At the top of the letter was the words:
“Goals Are Dreams With Time”.
It was a letter from Diane.
She explained that she changed “one day” to a specific year
and narrowed the word “Europe” to one year,
then the capital Vienna.
She got a great job at the United Nations and is enjoying it now.
Her dream has come true!
Goal launch
1. Understand The Difference Between Goals And Dreams
When you ask people what their goals are,
the answer you get most often is:
to be happy,
to be rich,
and to be famous.
That’s not a goal, it’s a wish.
A wish is a vague dream that we hope will happen to us.
A goal is a clear picture of a wish
because there is also our determination to make it come true.
2. Write Your Specific Goals
Writing down goals is the first act of committing to yourself.
Seeing those goals on paper is the first step towards making that
dream a reality.
Be as specific as possible and set a deadline for each goal.
The more meticulous you are,
the more your thoughts and actions are drawn to that picture.
Here are some other things to consider as you plan your life:
What steps are needed for you to accomplish your big goals?
What obstacles will you have to overcome?
Who do you need help from?
What do you need to learn?
3. Check And Adjust The Goals Only
With our “to do” list in place,
we should regularly look back at the things we want to achieve,
at least once a week,
to see how you have changed.
I also often add to my list new goals
and sometimes change areas that interest me.
It helps me feel more energized
because I have come a long way on the path towards the desired goal.
“Going towards a goal,
the slowest person will advance faster than any agile person who wanders aimlessly.” – G.Lessing